(Points which We rather may dispute, than know)! Come on, Thou little Inmate of this Breaft,
Which for Thy Sake from Paffions I diveft:
For thefe, Thou fay'ft, raife all the ftormy Strife, Which hinder Thy Repofe, and trouble Life. Be the fair Level of Thy Actions laid,
As Temp'rance wills, and Prudence may perfwade: Be Thy Affections undisturb'd and clear, Guided to what may Great or Good appear; And try if Life be worth the Liver's Care.
Amafs'd in Man there juftly is beheld What thro' the whole Creation has excel'd:
The Life and Growth of Plants, of Beafts the Senfe, The Angel's Forecaft and Intelligence:
Say from these glorious Seeds what Harveft flows:. Recount our Bleffings, and compare our Woes. In it's true Light let cleareft Reason fee
The Man dragg'd out to Act, and forc'd to Be; Helpless and Naked on a Woman's Knees To be expos'd or rear'd as She may please; Feel her Neglect, or pine from her Disease. His tender Eye by too direct a Ray Wounded, and flying from unpractis'd Day;
Cor tenerum, multumque tremit, pulfuque frequenti Æftuat. Ut variâ perculfus imagine rerum
Obftupet! ut pavet attonitus! Membra irrequieta Luctantem interius produnt augentque dolorem: Et gemitu queritur molli lacrymifque mifellis, Dum nondum fractas voces mutilataque verba Effari didicit, quibus intima fenfa laborans Exprimat, occultófque enarret pectoris æftus. Mox ut paulatim affurgit puerilibus annis, Garrulitate rudi crepitat, vanofque timores Concipit à nugis: cum firma adoleverit ætas, Publica fcena vocat, populifque frequentibus infert Implicitum; longo curarum ibi volvitur orbe; Et tacitæ fraudes & aperta pericula cingunt Infelix latus: hinc Hoftis vindicta ferocis, Hinc fævi magis amplexus fallacis Amici. Quin facta inquirit Populus; laudesque maligno Ore filet; minimam gaudet diffundere labem. Nec cætu in turpi maculis afpergere famam Derifor parcit mordax, quique audet apertis Virtutem opprobriis petere, invifamque fateri. Si vero his laffus turbis fecreta ferarum
Luftra petat folus, populofque urbefque relinquat;
His Heart affaulted by invading Air, And beating fervent to the vital War,
To his Young Senfe how various Forms appear; That ftrike his Wonder, and excite his Fear? By his Distortions he reveals his Pains;
He by his Tears, and by his Sighs complains; 'Till Time and Ufe affift the Infant Wretch, By broken Words, and Rudiments of Speech, His Wants in plainer Characters to show, And paint more perfect Figures of his Woe, Condemn'd to facrifice his childish Years To babling Ign'rance, and to empty Fears: To pass the riper Period of his Age, Acting his Part upon a crowded Stage; To lafting Toils expos'd, and endless Cares, To open Dangers, and to fecret Snares;
To Malice which the vengeful Foe intends, And the more dangerous Love of feeming Friends. His Deeds examin'd by the People's Will, Prone to forget the good, and blame the ill:
Or fadly cenfur'd in their curs'd Debate,
Who in the Scorner's, or the Judge's Seat
Dare to condemn the Virtue which They hate. s.. Or would he rather leave this frantic Scene;
Mens tamen umbrarum in latebras tacitofque receffus Addit fe comitem; innumeris Mens ufque fecuta Turbat Imaginibus: palantemque implicat Error, Ceu nemorum ambage illufum; aut torrentis iniqui More ruens, rapido premit acrior impete Cura. Multa animo verfans, varioque exercitus æftu, Dulce mifer Socii alloquium defiderat; audit Attonitus mæftos faxa ingeminare dolores, Seque fugit trepido deferta per avia curfu.
Hinc adeo, variæ quocunque in tramite vitæ, Vexamur cæcis animorum Affectibus: atris Jam cineti nebulis, cur fpem foveamus inanem, Fulfuros olim meliori lumine Soles? Inftabiles Hominum Senfus, trepidantia ut Ægri Somnia, profiliunt volucres; curfuque citato Semper amant amota fequi, fugientiaque ardent Arripere: ufque adeo, fomni fallacis Imago, Spes malesuada levi vigilantes decipit umbrâ. Sed flexis poft terga oculis, ut dira dolorum Agmina refpicimus, trepidâ formidine Senfus Horrefcunt, miferamque viam remeare recufant. Accedunt curis curæ, fcenâque priori
Scena fuperveniens magis & magis atra videtur;
And Trees and Beafts prefer to Courts and Men? In the remotest Wood and lonely Grott Certain to meet that worst of Evils, Thought; Diff'rent Ideas to his Mem'ry brought:
Some intricate, as are the pathless Woods; Impetuous fome, as the defcending Floods : With anxious Doubts, with raging Paffions torn, No sweet Companion near, with whom to mourn: He hears the Echoing Rock return his Sighs; And from himself the frighted Hermit flies.
Thus, thro' what Path foe'er of Life We rove, Rage companies our Hate, and Grief our Love: Vex'd with the prefent Moment's heavy Gloom, Why feek We Brightness from the Years to come? Difturb'd and broken like a fick Man's Sleep, Our troubled Thoughts to diftant Profpects leap: Defirous ftill what flies us to o'ertake:
For Hope is but the Dream of Thofe that wake: But looking back, We fee, the dreadful Train Of Woes, a-new which were We to fuftain,
We should refuse to tread the Path again.. Still adding Grief, ftill counting from the Firft; Judging the latest Evils ftill the worft;
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